The reason he had prepared three Level 2 Soul Tools was to test the limits of what Su Luoheng could do now.
Ran Yuming studied Su Luoheng with interest. He had already used up nearly half his Soul Power. Could he finish analyzing the last Soul Tool with what remained?
It was unlikely, but Ran Yuming still held out hope.
Half an hour later, in front of the workbench.
"Phew~"
Su Luoheng finally opened his eyes. After letting out a long breath, he set down the Soul Tool in his hand, wiped the sweat from his brow, and smiled with satisfaction.
Although he had very little Soul Power left, he had finished analyzing all of them.
Those five books were as good as his!
But he wasn't quite finished yet. He picked up the ink brush beside him and began recording the structures and Core Arrays of the three Soul Tools. He had already committed them to memory, so organizing his notes took little time.
After carefully checking that everything was correct, Su Luoheng went over to Ran Yuming, who had been waiting for him.
"Teacher Ran, please take a look."
Su Luoheng handed over his notes on the Core Arrays, a faint smile on his lips. "I've finished analyzing all three Soul Tools. Please inspect them."
"You analyzed all of them?"
Ran Yuming raised an eyebrow and flipped through the pages before setting them aside.
Just as expected of the disciple he had his eye on.
He had made all three Soul Tools himself, so one glance was enough to tell him that Su Luoheng had correctly analyzed their Core Arrays and structures.
He looked at Su Luoheng with approval.
"Teacher Ran?"
"Good, good! Excellent!"
Ran Yuming burst into hearty laughter, his eyes brimming with praise and admiration. He was determined to take this disciple, and no one else was going to get in his way!
"Then, about the books..."
Su Luoheng hadn't forgotten their wager.
The books in Elder Ran's laboratory were all valuable, each with its own strengths in the study of Soul Tools. They would be a great draw to any Soul Engineer, and Su Luoheng was no exception. Now that he had a chance to borrow them, he naturally wasn't going to pass it up.
"You little rascal..." Ran Yuming laughed helplessly, but he didn't try to wriggle out of the deal. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten about the books."
"Thank you, Teacher Ran!"
Su Luoheng smiled and bowed respectfully.
Ran Yuming suddenly turned serious. "But before that, there's something important I need to discuss with you."
"Please, go ahead, Teacher Ran." Su Luoheng sobered.
"Do you want to become my student?"
Ran Yuming looked at Su Luoheng and got straight to the point.
"Of course—what?!"
Su Luoheng was about to agree when he suddenly froze. His eyes widened as he wondered whether he'd misheard.
"You heard me right."
Elder Ran smiled, his expression calm.
But inside, Su Luoheng was already reeling like a storm-tossed sea!
Elder Ran was an honorary teacher at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Countless Level 4 and Level 5 Soul Engineers outside the academy were eager to become his disciples.
And now he wanted to take Su Luoheng as his student?
The sudden, unexpected surprise left Su Luoheng stunned.
It was as if a giant meat pie had suddenly fallen from the sky and hit him square on the head.
It was an overwhelming surprise.
Seeing Su Luoheng standing there in a daze, Elder Ran chuckled and patiently asked, "Well, kid, what do you think? Will you become my student?"
"I pay my respects to you, Teacher."
Without hesitation, Su Luoheng bowed to Elder Ran, accepting him as his teacher.
His whole reason for showing off his talent was to earn the academy's attention and support. What reason could he possibly have to refuse a teacher of such high status?
Ran Yuming stroked his beard with satisfaction and laughed heartily.
Chapter 40: Soul Engineer and Soul Master
"From today on, you'll be my direct disciple, and you'll receive the benefits reserved for the academy's key students. Your monthly allowance will double. As for other training resources, as long as you have the ability to earn them, I'll do my best to secure them for you!"
"Thank you, Teacher."
Su Luoheng beamed and bowed sincerely this time.
A Soul Master's cultivation depended on two things: talent and resources.
Talent determined how far a Soul Master could go.
Resources were just as essential along the way. Pills, money, rare materials, Core Arrays, and so on could all greatly improve a Soul Master's abilities.
A year of solitary cultivation could be matched with ease by a single pill.
The same principle applied to Soul Engineers. Without rare metals and Core Arrays, progress was difficult at every turn.
That was how important resources were.
Many unaffiliated Soul Masters were held back by a lack of resources, wasting the best years of their cultivation.
Soul Masters trained by major powers such as academies and sects didn't need to waste time. They could focus on cultivation and receive the resources they needed. But first, they had to demonstrate enough talent and prove that they deserved such support.
That was what Elder Ran was promising Su Luoheng.
As long as Su Luoheng displayed enough talent, he wouldn't have to worry about resources for his future cultivation.
Ran Yuming was an honorary teacher at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Becoming his personal disciple would naturally bring Su Luoheng to the academy's attention, which would be a great advantage.
Given the talent Su Luoheng had shown, the academy would surely direct resources his way.
That was what Su Luoheng wanted most.
"Hahaha!"
After taking on this disciple, Ran Yuming was in excellent spirits.
Fame and status no longer mattered much to him. What he cared about most was passing on everything he knew, and Su Luoheng's talent with Soul Skills had caught his interest.
The more he looked at his new disciple, the more pleased he became.
"Luo Heng, come sit here." Ran Yuming pulled Su Luoheng over and sat him down. "Today, your teacher is going to give you a proper lesson on Soul Tools!"
His words rang with confidence. He was clearly certain of his expertise in Soul Tool theory.
"Yes, Teacher."
Su Luoheng quickly sat down respectfully, his expression full of anticipation.
He could genuinely learn from Teacher Ran. He'd realized as much during the Soul Tool lesson that morning, and naturally, he couldn't pass up the chance for one-on-one instruction.
He couldn't make any promises about other things, but Elder Ran's way of teaching Soul Tools was undoubtedly unique.
That one lesson alone had already taught him a great deal.
"..."
Instead of explaining Soul Tools, Ran Yuming began talking with Su Luoheng about Soul Masters and Soul Engineers.
"Luo Heng, do you know the difference between a Soul Master and a Soul Engineer?"
Su Luoheng considered this briefly before answering, "A Soul Master relies on Soul Skills and his Martial Soul, using Soul Power to unleash great combat strength. A Soul Engineer uses Soul Power through Soul Tools. In terms of individual ability, a high-level Soul Master is stronger than a high-level Soul Tool. But in terms of destructive power, a Soul Engineer far surpasses a Soul Master."
Ran Yuming nodded slightly, satisfied with his new disciple's answer.
"Good. What else?"
"That's all I understand for now, Teacher."
"Tell me whatever else you've thought of." Ran Yuming noticed the hesitation in Su Luoheng's eyes and waved encouragingly for him to continue.
"Yes."
Su Luoheng didn't hold back. He spoke openly.
"Teacher, most people say that Soul Engineers and Soul Masters follow two different paths. One fights using their Martial Soul, while the other fights with Soul Tools. Everyone, ourselves included, instinctively divides them into two separate groups: Soul Masters are Soul Masters, and Soul Engineers are Soul Engineers. One is one, and two is two; the two should never be confused. But I think that view is far too absolute and one-sided."
"Why?"
A hint of surprise and admiration flashed in Ran Yuming's eyes as he spoke.
Su Luoheng continued, "Soul Masters and Soul Engineers both use Soul Power to gain strength. That's what they have in common. Martial Souls and Soul Tools are both vessels through which Soul Power is used, so why should we be bound by the distinction between the two? I think Soul Engineers and Soul Masters should both be capable of doing both."
"That's just my humble opinion, Teacher. I'd appreciate your thoughts." After finishing, Su Luoheng sat quietly beside him.
"Excellent, excellent!"
Ran Yuming smiled broadly and nodded as he stroked his long beard. "Well said! You truly are the disciple I had my eye on!"
At Su Luoheng's age, it was rare for someone not to be blinded by the power of Soul Tools and to have such a clear understanding. His previous students had all been talented, but not one had seen the relationship between Soul Masters and Soul Engineers so clearly!
Ran Yuming felt that taking on this disciple on a whim had been the right choice!
Soon, Ran Yuming's smile faded.
"Luo Heng, you're right. I've spent years studying a great many ancient books and found that Soul Engineers in ancient times were powerful Soul Masters even without the boost from Soul Tools. We've strayed from the true meaning of the Soul Engineer's path. The path itself is right, but we've taken the wrong direction."
"But at some point, we began pursuing only the immense power of Soul Tools, neglecting our own abilities as Soul Masters. As a result, those abilities have steadily declined. Even though the Empire has begun to pay attention to the problem, the damage runs deep, and change will take a long time."
"I think the weakness of Soul Masters is what's preventing everyone from breaking through to Level 9 Soul Engineer."
"A true Soul Engineer should be capable of both."
Ran Yuming sighed deeply, a flash of helplessness crossing his eyes. He wasn't the only one who had realized this. Many high-ranking Soul Engineers in the Sun Moon Empire had, too. But as he'd said, what could they do, even if they knew?
The decline in Martial Soul talent was a fundamental weakness, and it would be difficult to change in a short time.
Besides, those Soul Engineers were already set in their ways. Changing their approach would be an uphill battle.
"..."
After a long moment of reflection, Ran Yuming looked at Su Luoheng, a sharp glint in his eyes.
He couldn't do it himself, but he could train his disciple to make it happen!
"Luo Heng."
"Teacher."
"You reached Level 17 Soul Power at such a young age. That alone is proof that your Martial Soul is exceptional. So as my disciple, you must not neglect your foundation as a Soul Master. I don't expect you to reach the level of Shrek's top students, but you should at least be as strong as an ordinary Soul Master. And under no circumstances should you take the pills the academy provides."
"They aren't right for you. They have serious side effects and will hurt your potential!"
Ran Yuming paused, then warned him sternly, "I'll prepare your cultivation resources for you. Do you understand?"
Chapter 41: Getting What He Wanted
"Understood, Teacher."
Su Luoheng nodded seriously.
This concerned his future growth. He would never sabotage it.
In truth, he wouldn't have taken those pills even without Elder Ran's warning. Still, the fact that Ran Yuming had taken the trouble to remind him made him feel how much his teacher valued him.
"Good. As long as you understand."
Ran Yuming nodded.
He was among those who knew the properties of the pills developed by the academy.
They were designed to sacrifice one's potential in exchange for rapidly increasing Soul Power, enough to reach the Soul King or Soul Saint level.
Although they raised one's Soul Power, they also cut off one's future prospects.
Before you continue